REIGN of QUEEN ELIZABETH, to the SETTLEMENT WITH THE STATE OF THE IRISH CATHOLICS, FROM THAT SETTLEMENT TO THE RELAXATION OF THE POPERY LAWS, Extracted from PARLIAMENTARY RECORDS, STATE ACTS, BY OHN CURRY, M.D. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. DUBLIN: Printed for LUKE WHITE, No. 86, Dame-ftreet. AN ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR OF THE FOLLOWING WORK. MEMORIALS of enlightened men, who have : devoted their labours to the fervice of their fellowcitizens should be made public, for the fake of the examples they exhibited, as well as the leffons they left behind them. Unhappily, this justice, due to ourselves and to posterity, is too often omitted. In fome countries, public benefactors have been treated with public ingratitude Works which expofed the abufes of legislation, and prescribed a remedy, have generally paffed away unnoticed, or met the reproachful alternative of perfecution and penalties. History is full of fuch examples. It however affords a comfortable reflection, that the obftinacy of political error has been in a great degree fubdued, and the refiftance to useful information appears much abated. Here the philofopher comes in aid of the legiflator, and happily the union of both, has of late procured folid advantages to this nation, and more, 'tis hoped, are in contemplation. This change in the public mind could not be effected by the great patriots Molyneaux and Swift," tho' they pointed out to our countrymen, the principles on which alone Irish profperity can be established: but they encountered prejudices, from which, in their times, we could not be prevailed on to depart. It is now we recognise the maxims of these illuftrious men, which teach us to think justly, and, in confequence, to act profitably. In the lift of excellent men, who have prepared materials for an impartial hiftory of the civil commotions which involved this kingdom in mifery for more than one hundred and fifty years, the Author of the following work, and of feveral other tracts for the fervice of his country, is worthy to be numbered. He very judiciously grounds his judgments on domestic facts, which exhibit, in the cleareft light, the spirit which pervaded the politics of our predeceffors during that period; and by examples, the best leffons of instruction, he points out the dismal effects of calumny and mifreprefentation on the human mind. It is a tribute I owe to the memory of my learned and virtuous friend (the author) to give the reader an account of his life and studies. Doctor John Curry was defcended of an antient Irish family, (by the name of O'Corra) inheriting a con The patriotic spirit of the Dean feemed to flow through the veins of our Author, to whom we find he was related by his mother. b Hiftorical Memoirs of the Irish Rebellion.-A History of the Gun-powder Plot.-A Candid Inquiry into the Caufes of the Riots in Munfter.-Three Appeals to the Lord Primate in Vindication of the Civil Principles of Roman Catholics.--A Sequel to the Candid Inquiry.-Occafional Remarks on certain Paffages in Dr. Leland's Hiftory of Ireland.-A Sketch of the History of the 2d and 8th of Queen Anne.-An Effay on Feyers, &c. &c. confiderable landed property in the county of Cavan, which after a poffeffion of many centuries, was lost in the ufurpation of Cromwell, to a small part that escaped the ufurper's spies, and even that was loft among the other forfeitures incurred by the Irish in adhering to the cause of the late king James, in whose service the doctor's grandfather commanded a troop of horse, and fell at the head of it in the battle of Aghrim. The doctor's father being left destitute of any real property, took to mercantile business, by which he was enabled to give his fon a liberal education; who, giving early proofs of natural talents, became ambitious of trying his fortune in a learned profeffion; but difqualified by his religion from profecuting his ftudies in the univerfity of Dublin, he went to Paris, where he applied closely to the study of medicine for many years, and afterwards obtained a diploma for the practice of phyfic at Rheims. Having returned to his native city, his attention to the poor, and a fuccefsful practice, after fome time, recommended him to persons of rank and fortune. Grown easy in his circumstances, he left no void in life; but, in every interval of leisure from the calls of his profeffion, employed himself in intellectual researches, and particularly fuch as regarded the phyfical, moral and political anomalies of his fellow-creatures: but his application to history, wherein he could view men on every stage of action, and without disguise, under the influence of ftrong prejudices and local manners in which they were nurtured, received a spur from an incident which merits, from its confequence, to be here. related. с In By the like impolitic penal law, the Doctor's two fons were compelled to leave their native country, and feek employments in a foreign land. They obtained nonourable ones, being both officers in the Imperial fervice. |